Grace Awakening Week Four, Chapter Four: Undeserving, Yet Unconditionally Loved

Welcome back to week four. I almost had to skip again this week--it has been rough here lately! We got hit by blizzard Juno, dumping a gorgeous three feet of fresh white snow on us--took two days to get dug out, then another before school and work schedules resumed. So I had an unexpected houseful and a schedule tossed to the wind. Then I got the news that a dear friend's husband had passed away, the wake and funeral would be Thursday and Friday. I'd gotten absolutely nothing accomplished that I'd hoped to achieve all week, and another slice of time was cut away. But, I'm so glad I attended the service--such beautiful words remembering and honoring a most loved father, husband, grandfather...and it was just good to be in the company of my rowing/church family for the occasion as well.

So I determined to set aside all mail, lettering, and planner pursuits for the afternoon until I got my post written--all those things can wait just a little bit longer...I should have some time to play over the weekend (I hope, at least!) And we carry on with Chapter Four: Undeserving, Yet Unconditionally Loved.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I struggle a LOT with the whole feeling of being undeserving of God's lavish love and grace. I have made mess upon mess of my life and yet He's done nothing but shower me with His unlimited love, forgiveness, and bounty of blessings. I live it--every day in awe of all that God has given me. I don't even remember to thank Him most of the time. Yet every day, new grace, more gifts, unbounded love.

Chapter Four explores the stories of David and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 4), and that of Paul. How King David bestowed grace on Jonathon's crippled son for the sheer love of his childhood friend. Paul, consumed zealot, condemner, murderer of Christians given grace by God, turned apostle who couldn't stop himself from preaching God's love-from the depths of prisons, bound in chains. He lived to preach God's grace to the rest of us until his last dying breath.

This gift is given freely. God does what He does by His grace. Because of this, I am what I am by the grace of God. He gets every ounce of credit for whatever good I am able to achieve. And just as God shapes us in His grace, we need to allow Him to be the One to mold those around us in HIS way (not ours). And since He gives us grace, we need to extend it to others, rather than trying to turn them into what we think they should be.

Grace is not something simply to be claimed, it is meant to be demonstrated. It is to be shared, used as a basis for friendships and drawn upon for sustained relationships.

"Grace focuses on who God is and what He has done and takes the focus (and credit) off ourselves. Yet it's so easy to think we need to do something to earn or deserve God's favor, as though grace is too good to be true." -Jackie Hudson

In what ways have you experienced God's grace in your life and relationships?

Do you find it difficult to let people be who they are? Why do you think this is so?

Do you find yourself being harder on family members or coworkers than you mean to be? In which of your relationships is this an issue?

Click here to listen to the chapter podcast.

Thanks so much for your patience with last week's delay, and thank you for joining me again this week. I hope you're getting as much from this study as I am. Please leave a comment below--I'd love to hear what you think so far! Have a great week--see you next Saturday for Chapter Five!

WOIW Delay

Hopefully I can get a post up tomorrow but for now I have to head back out and keep digging...The plows and more snow overnight have us buried again...Oh and more snow on the way Friday! Who wants to come play??

A plow got stuck out in front of our house last night and not the only one.
Plows, police, ambulances and fire rescue trucks were getting stuck all over town...

I know I'm not going anywhere today!

The backyard--snow up to our patio

A path for the poochies--you can't even tell there are steps that go...well...down into the yard....It's just all snow!

I'll take some more pics of the neighborhood once I get the cars dug out again--stay warm everyone!

Mailbox Monday #3

Well, I don't know what happened to the pics of the rest of my mail this week--unless I simply brain farted and forgot to take pics? Uhr-duhr....it's been known to happen. I did have a lot on my mind last week with getting (mentally) prepared for our NYC trip (me? worry? NAH! Okay...yuh....) Nonetheless, I do have a few pics (thank goodness for saving grace...)

Tada!

 

This lovely creation is a friendship folder from new penpal Ina from the Netherlands. I've seen so many of these on Instagram lately so I was quite tickled to receive my first one! Now I have to return the favor and make one to send back (and of course others to share with my other beloved penfriends!)

A panic picture taken yesterday when I thought I had zero pics to share...yikes! Again, Ina's folder, a super cute thank you card from new friend, Eileen (adorbs!) and a pair of tie die envelope experiments I made this week that turned out so super cool I'll have to make MORE!!

Outgoing advertisement envie

The two original tie die envies. I started with a pink/red palette for Valentine's day.
Loved it so much I had to break out some purple....

 Okay, the next two have absolutely nothing to do with mail, just my heart....

Look at this giant lump! He's crushed all the cushions to our (er, his!) sofa!

Words simply do not exist for how much I love this dog

A gianormous blizzard is en route for later today, tomorrow, and parts of Wednesday. I've waited all winter for some snow--I didn't think they'd save it all up for one blow out event! And, Bug is off school today for a professional development day, not likely to be going to school Tuesday, Wednesday or even possibly Thursday from the looks of what's about to hit the coast this week...Pajama-rama Week!!

 

Stay safe! Stay warm! Happy Mailing!!

 

 

PS! It is not too late to join me for a Month of Letters! Official mailing begins next Monday! I was asked to clarify: I am NOT assigning pen pals. This is simply an open individual challenge to create and mail 23 pieces of mail love (mailing one piece every day through the month of February-excluding, of course, Sundays and Presidents Day--hence the remaining 23 days...) Zip me a line with your address if you would like to be included on my mailing list!

NYC Nightwatch Youth Gathering

Our church's youth group joined three other groups this weekend for an overnight trip to the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. What an incredible night of fellowship in this amazing, breathtaking setting...We shared our bus trip with another group from the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Foxboro, MA and arrived excited, if tentative, about the full night of activity waiting ahead for us...

A view from above of this immense cathedral, the largest in the world!

Everyone unloaded into the gymnasium in the undercroft (mad rush to find outlets to plug in all the drained devices! One genius among us was brilliant enough to pack a power strip and all electronics commenced charging while some mad One Bounce Pseudo Volleyball Insanity broke out. Another group poured in from New Jersey while a fourth group from CT was running late, held up in the weekend traffic.

Eventually we all trailed upstairs to begin the night's program. I couldn't possibly photograph what was waiting for us on entry to the cathedral--I tried the next morning but even Googling on the laptop, I couldn't find a decent picture of the colossal Phoenix sculptures hanging suspended in the cathedral's nave. At first, all was dark except for the sculptures, lit with tiny sparkling lights like Christmas...then--they lit the cathedral...and you could see these two incredible creatures...hanging in the midst of this incredible, huge sanctuary....You can Google for pictures, but it's really something that needs to be experienced first hand. Just amazing...

The delayed group from CT finally arrived and the activities began. We were kept busy and moving well into the night with a closing candlelight Eucharist and meditation at midnight that was the perfect ending to a really wonderful night. We were then allowed to curl up with our sleeping mats and bags back down in the undercroft's gymnasium, though very little sleep actually ensued...I waited patiently and quietly for morning and coffee and an opportunity to head back upstairs to a day lit cathedral...Still, my pictures don't do any kind of justice to the beauty of that building:

One of seven chapels in the cathedral

Can you imagine getting married here?!

Those blue lights below the rose window are the Phoenixes

Intricately carved pews for the choir loft

Crazy detail everywhere you look--I could sit in here and sketch forever!!

Beautiful floors throughout....

A mini Phoenix

One set of organ pipes

 

I couldn't get in to all the chapels yesterday morning for pictures, plus the light was still so dim from the snow/sleet storm that was happening outside...After a quick round up of the troops, bagels and coffee for breakfast, we loaded back into the bus and were off to see the WTC Memorial museum, which I just cried through the entire time...To stand where those two towers once stood and to take in the total tragic loss of life that day, less than two weeks shy of giving birth to my Bug...Another experience that needs to be done firsthand...

So today, we are iced in with a blizzard on its way for tomorrow night! Seems like the weather has stored up all my snow this winter for one big blowout! I'm heading to the grocery store to stock up and then battening down the hatches for the storm ahead! Stay safe and warm my friends!

Grace Awakening Chapter Four Delay

I won't be posting Chapter Four this weekend since I'll be off in New York with the Youth Group until Saturday afternoon. So we'll see you next week!

Workin' On It Wednesday #16

Just a few hand lettered pieces to share this week:

 

#52HandletteredProject prompt: One thing to do more often

And a couple Scripture doodles from the prayer journal:

Mailbox Monday #2

Still another quiet week of incoming mail but here are some of the prettier pieces that arrived-three from our snail mail group and a couple overseas letters:



 

And outgoing:

 

Dressed up just a simple white envie with a little scrapbook paper, washi, stamps and stickers

 

Envie made from one of Michael's old magazines

This envie was made from an old calendar page

My Secret Pen Pal letter for Snail Mail Ideas January Project

Doodled up another plain white envie--gotta make it pretty! :D

I'm still getting a few sign ups for February's Month of Letters and prepped more postcards to send out--click the link for more details if you're interested!

 

Today is Martin Luther King Day which means *BOOOO* No Mail *BOOOO*. But, alas, there are other responsibilities calling for my attention...Enjoy the holiday and I hope to see you later in the week!